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BMWs overheat very quickly when cooling system fails. Thats why its one of the priorities to maintain the cooling system. As far as being stranded, no more than being stranded with any other car. Thats what AAA is for anyways. The ride is worth all the DIYs though. These cars are not like Honda, you maintain they will not fail you and will be reliable as heck, you dont maintain it and it will throw code after code, when you fix one issue that one would have already started another one, etc.

OP buying another car is also a chore and a hassle. I think you should "suffer" through you current BMW. The e46 is an older car so there are more parts that need replacing it is not different than any other car. The e46 however is vet easy to work on and the engineers had mechanics in mind as the placement of everything makes sense! I watched a Audi timing belt replacement and omg it looked awful. Like a seven hour job. Check out vw, Audi, and Volvo repairs...they suck and the engine compartment is impossible to work on. Just stick with what you have stop trying to complicate your life.

Yeah I know what you're saying about it being a hassle to sell, and all. But it's not that I'm suffering with my e90, it would be a move to an e46 to eliminate a car payment. And to let me concentrate my funds elsewhere for a while. Although I guess it's sounding like I wouldn't actually be able to concentrate my funds elsewhere, if I'm always working on my car.

And I absolutely agree with you about the VW/Audi maintenance. Wacky engineering in parts, and I've seen Audis have significant electrical problems. No thanks!

E46's are cheap based on your location..CA? Forget it the prices are jacked up... Its a popular car round here so they bump up their prices regardless of the mileage. But otherwise .. I agree go E46 best bimmer made..

E46's are cheap based on your location..CA? Forget it the prices are jacked up... Its a popular car round here so they bump up their prices regardless of the mileage. But otherwise .. I agree go E46 best bimmer made..

Yeah I'm looking locally here in Kansas City, but not finding anything good. I do a decent amount of traveling, though, so I'm also looking in areas I will be in soon.

Do it. If you want a drivers car the E46 is simply a better choice, even better than that I'd say go for an E36 M3 (flamesuit once again, on) if you just want something that gets you from point a to point be comfortably... why stick with BMW?

OP should just get a nice Honda Accord or Acura.
He doesn't seems to be the type with plenty of free time crawling under the car and E46 + paying mechanics for maintenance will easily cost him $5000 a year.

I would say if cost is your worry then how much longer will you be paying 350 a month and is it still under warranty?

350 X 12 = 4200 a year and if you are no longer under warranty then $$$$ for maintenance and repairs which will be at least as costly as the e46. If the car is almost paid off then i would stick with the e90.

The e46 will be costly at first but most parts you replace wont need attention for years and thousands of miles, maintenance can be done cheaply and easily. Depending on your state you may have to factor in sales tax and registration. Insurance should be cheaper.

I would say if cost is your worry then how much longer will you be paying 350 a month and is it still under warranty?

350 X 12 = 4200 a year and if you are no longer under warranty then $$$$ for maintenance and repairs which will be at least as costly as the e46. If the car is almost paid off then i would stick with the e90.

The e46 will be costly at first but most parts you replace wont need attention for years and thousands of miles, maintenance can be done cheaply and easily. Depending on your state you may have to factor in sales tax and registration. Insurance should be cheaper.

I would say if cost is your worry then how much longer will you be paying 350 a month and is it still under warranty?

350 X 12 = 4200 a year and if you are no longer under warranty then $$$$ for maintenance and repairs which will be at least as costly as the e46. If the car is almost paid off then i would stick with the e90.

The e46 will be costly at first but most parts you replace wont need attention for years and thousands of miles, maintenance can be done cheaply and easily. Depending on your state you may have to factor in sales tax and registration. Insurance should be cheaper.

Thanks. Yeah, I would be looking at paying on my car for about 2.5 to 3 more years, depending on how much additional money I pay beyond the minimum payment. And one of the benefits of doing this is my transition to self employment would be quicker, and should mean more free time (or at least flexibility) in my schedule, which would be good if I needed to do a repair. My biggest fear is having an issue on the e90 requiring a DIY or pro repair, while I'm also making the monthly payments. That's a lose-lose. So if I could find an e46 that would at least be as reliable over the next couple years, I'd be better off.

And as for the question about just getting a Honda Accord.....I'd just rather not.

Thanks. Yeah, I would be looking at paying on my car for about 2.5 to 3 more years, depending on how much additional money I pay beyond the minimum payment. And one of the benefits of doing this is my transition to self employment would be quicker, and should mean more free time (or at least flexibility) in my schedule, which would be good if I needed to do a repair. My biggest fear is having an issue on the e90 requiring a DIY or pro repair, while I'm also making the monthly payments. That's a lose-lose. So if I could find an e46 that would at least be as reliable over the next couple years, I'd be better off.

And as for the question about just getting a Honda Accord.....I'd just rather not.

Yup e90 probably wont be cheap to repair...more technology sometimes can lead to more headaches.

A clean well maintained e46 is probably the good bet then because 3 more years of $4200 a year plus maint and repair will add up. The e46 have solid 6 cylinder engines and good transmissions, plenty of parts suppliers and probably more experienced indy mechanics out there.

It seems like you have your mind made up and you're looking for a justification for it. Or...maybe i'm reading into it too far.

Your average $7-9K E46 330 (what you will need to buy to be happy) will be 100K-130K miles, and worst case scenario, you have to plan on it needing the following to bring it up to speed and be something you can trust almost completely:
-Cooling system - $400
-Intake hoses, VCG, OFHG, and other things that will cause annoyances - $100
-Shocks - $500
-Front control arms and bushings - $500
-Fuel pump - $150
-DISA - $200
-Belts and pulleys - $100
-Fluids - $150
-Clutch&Flywheel - $800

TOTAL = $2900

That's not including consumables like brakes and tires if the car needs them. But figure on that being a worst case for money expenditure. If you want to keep the car for a while and be able to trust it...just bang most of that out in the first few months of having it (obviously not the clutch, or anything you know has been done). If you're only planning on having it for 2 years or less, I wouldn't bother with some of that stuff. It all depends.

But that's about it. I went through this with my E36. I spent like $3K in preventative maintenance on the car in the first year and a half I owned it. I haven't done much if any maintenance since then (2008 or so), outside of fluid changes, spark plugs, and that sort of thing. The car is dead nuts reliable. But it wouldn't be if I waited for stuff to break. I'm going through that process with my E46 right now.

You won't be saving much money if you own the car in the short term. But I hope that helps put a worst case into prospective for you.

Thank you. I think I have my mind made up that I'll see if anything good pops up, as well as what I can get for my car private party. Took it to carmax today just to see what they'd give me....they offered $14.5k?! No way would I take that, though i wasn't surprised by the lowball offer. pretty much an "average" condition wholesale quote, minus a grand or so. My car was dirty but has no damage other than two small door dings. I think the 4 e90s (two of which silver) on their lot already might have contributed to the offer. I would expect at least $17k-$18k before I considered selling it.

It seems that beyond maintenance, the e46 would be a great car to own. But I'm not going to rush in and just buy whatever. If the right one comes along, I think it could be a good change and a smart move. I do think they are gorgeous and will keep their timeless look until they become even more highly desirable. Much like the e30 is experiencing right now. Plus, I like the idea of driving something more "raw" and engaging.

When took the e90 out today, I did feel a little guilty for all this talk of getting rid of her. She is a good car.

Do not go backwards!!! If you want to get rid of your current ride to save money go JDM. Nissan,Honda or Toyota

+1

If OP doesn't have the proper income to comfortably own a luxury car, then just buy a cheaper more reliable eco-box until the time is right.
No need to show off a false "status" that you might not have. Rich people with million dollars of assets can be seen as driving regular Ford and Toyota sedans.

Why are you assuming that he'd be buying a car that is beat to ****? What is with this assumption that this forum is the only place where people maintain BMWs and any BMW you buy has never been to a mechanic. Everyone I know who purchased an E46 already had almost all that stuff replaced by the previous owner. A car with worn out control arms and bushing won't even pass inspection for him to purchase it, so its unlikely that he'll need to replace them at purchase. Clutch and flywheel?

Why are you assuming that he'd be buying a car that is beat to ****? What is with this assumption that this forum is the only place where people maintain BMWs and any BMW you buy has never been to a mechanic. Everyone I know who purchased an E46 already had almost all that stuff replaced by the previous owner. A car with worn out control arms and bushing won't even pass inspection for him to purchase it, so its unlikely that he'll need to replace them at purchase. Clutch and flywheel?

Why are *you* jumping own my throat without reading my post? I used the term worst case scenario multiple times in my post. The OP was specifically asking if the cost of maintenance of buying a $7-9K E46 would negate the savings of him getting rid of his car payment. I listed all of the common issues with a car in that price range so he could get a feel for what the worst case maintenance costs would be over long term ownership so he can make decisions for himself.

If you have a problem with that and don't agree with the information, post up a reply to him that you feel is more relevant. Giving me a hard time for providing information to the OP so he can think for himself? Slightly less productive.

Why are *you* jumping own my throat without reading my post? I used the term worst case scenario multiple times in my post. The OP was specifically asking if the cost of maintenance of buying a $7-9K E46 would negate the savings of him getting rid of his car payment. I listed all of the common issues with a car in that price range so he could get a feel for what the worst case maintenance costs would be over long term ownership so he can make decisions for himself.

If you have a problem with that and don't agree with the information, post up a reply to him that you feel is more relevant. Giving me a hard time for providing information to the OP so he can think for himself? Slightly less productive.

I apologize on behalf of our fellow Canadians.
The immigration office has let too many angry nut cases into our border in the past few years. Good thing they are starting to tightening up the requirements recently.